MAGNOLIA – Delaware Natural Resources Police officers with DNREC’s Environmental Crimes Unit arrested a Kent County man Aug. 5, after a traffic stop in the area of Sorghum Mill Road in Magnolia led to the discovery of drugs and counterfeit US currency. After an odor of marijuana was detected during the traffic stop, ECU officers conducting a search of the vehicle found 16.9 grams of marijuana and 10 counterfeit $100 bills.

Jordan Patrick, 25, of Magnolia, was arrested and charged with: forgery first degree/possession of counterfeit money (a felony); tampering with physical evidence; possession of marijuana; operating a motor vehicle without proof of insurance in possession; operating a motor vehicle with a fictitious or cancelled registration card, number plate or tag; operating a motor vehicle without registration card in possession; and operating a vehicle without working brake lights.

Patrick was video-arraigned through Justice of the Peace Court 2 in Rehoboth Beach. He was released on $10,300 unsecured bond for an active capias, and $3,202 unsecured bond for the charges resulting from the ECU traffic stop, pending an appearance in Superior Court.

Delawareans are encouraged to report environmental violations to DNREC’s Natural Resources Police Environmental Crimes Unit by calling the 24-hour environmental complaints line at 800-662-8802.

Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 49, No. 212

NEWARK – After investigating an illegal dumping complaint made to DNREC’s Division of Community Affairs, Natural Resources Police Environmental Crimes Unit arrested a New Castle woman Thursday, Aug. 2 in connection with the incident.

Merle M. Moore, 46, was charged with one count of causing or contributing to the disposal or discharge of solid waste materials at the Polly Drummond Hill Road Yard Waste Demonstration Site in Newark. The charge carries a minimum fine of $500.

Moore was arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court 11 in New Castle and released on her own recognizance, pending trial at a later date.

The Polly Drummond Yard Waste Site allows Delaware residents to drop off yard waste from their own yard. Commercial businesses are not eligible to drop off yard waste at this site. Yard waste consists of plant materials from lawn maintenance and landscaping activities such as: grass clippings, leaves, prunings, brush, shrubs, garden materials, Christmas trees, and tree limbs up to four inches in diameter. Only loose material can be left; plastic bags and other containers must be emptied and removed from the site. Leaving construction debris such as lumber and fencing at the site is not permitted.

Residents are encouraged to report illegal trash dumping to DNREC’s Natural Resources Police Environmental Crimes Unit by calling the 24-hour environmental complaints line at 800-662-8802.

CONTACT: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 48, No. 214

Radee Prince, the 38-year-old Wilmington man who shot another man at the victim’s auto sales business in Wilmington in 2017, faces up to 89 years in prison after being convicted by a jury on numerous charges including Attempted Manslaughter. Deputy Attorneys General Mark Denney and Erika Flaschner secured the guilty verdicts. In October 2017, Prince went to the 28th Street Auto Sales And Service shop located in the 2800 block of Northeast Boulevard and shot 35-year-old Rashan Jason Baul several times, including once in the face. Prince fled the scene but was arrested later that evening near the Four Seasons Shopping Center on Route 896 in Glasgow after a foot chase with police, during which Prince discarded a gun. A Superior Court jury found Prince guilty of Attempted Manslaughter, 2 counts of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, Reckless Endangering First Degree, Carrying a Concealed Deadly Weapon, and Resisting Arrest. Prince faces 8 to 89 years in prison when sentenced in August for the Delaware crime. Prince also faces charges, including three counts of Murder First Degree, in Maryland in connection with a mass shooting at his former workplace.

Dance instructor Alexander Boitsov, 66, of Hockessin, pled guilty to Unlawful Sexual Contact Second Degree for an incident involving a 17-year-old boy in a Dover dance studio locker room. Boitsov was accused of telling the victim, who was a student at The Dance Conservatory, to undress under the guise of providing instruction and then engaging in sexual contact with the victim in June 2017. After the victim reported the incident to his parents and police, Boitsov was arrested at a ballet studio in New York City where he also taught and was extradited to Delaware. Deputy Attorney General Kathleen Dickerson secured the plea, and Boitsov will be sentenced by a Superior Court judge in October after a presentence investigation. Boitsov, who taught at a number of ballet studios in the region, also faces charges in Chester County, Pennsylvania, for sexually assaulting a student there.

A 37-year-old Wilmington man faces at least 17 years in prison after a search of his car and home found thousands of bags of drugs along with a gun. Deputy Attorney General Erika Flaschner secured a guilty plea from Tony Davis to Drug Dealing Heroin Tier 4 and Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited. After a traffic stop in August 2017, police found over 12,000 bags of heroin, a loaded firearm, cocaine, methamphetamine, alprazolam, marijuana, and oxycodone. Davis, prohibited from having a gun because of previous felony convictions on drug charges, will face a minimum 17 years in prison as a habitual offender when sentenced by a Superior Court judge in September. Chief Investigating Officer Detective Danielle Farrell from the Wilmington Police Department investigated the case.

Joseph Basher, 30, of Newark, pled guilty to the charge of Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited. In June 2017, Basher and another man, 26-year-old Joshua Perry of Newark, entered a home in the 700 block of Harwood Road in the Gordy Estates neighborhood near Newport through an unlocked back door to steal money and a gun. The homeowner and his cousin arrived home while the two men were in the house and held Basher in the backyard after a struggle until police arrived. While holding Basher, the homeowner found the stolen gun in Basher’s pocket and was able to grab it and throw it across the yard. In August, a Superior Court judge will sentence Basher, prohibited from having a gun because of previous felony convictions for drug, weapons, and theft charges, as a habitual offender to at least 7 ½ years in prison. Perry, who ran from the house, pled guilty to Conspiracy Second Degree and will also be sentenced by a judge in August. Deputy Attorney General Kelly Sheridan prosecuted the case.

A 2017 robbery and shootout led to a prison sentence for a 20-year-old Newark man. Deputy Attorney General Stephen Smith secured a guilty plea and prison sentence for Judeau Brown on charges of Robbery First Degree and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony. In April 2017, Brown and another man, 20-year-old Quadaire Sadler of Newark, went to a home in the Towne Point Apartments on Carvel Drive in Dover to buy marijuana from 22-year-old Matthew Newman. When Brown and Sadler arrived, each carried a gun and they forced their way inside, robbed Newman, and ran. All three men suffered gunshot wounds as Brown and Sadler fired shots at Newman as they ran with Newman firing back. Immediately after pleading guilty, Brown was sentenced by a Superior Court judge to 7 years in prison, followed by 6 months of either home confinement or work release, then one year of probation. Sadler pled guilty in April to Robbery Second Degree, Possession of a Firearm During the commission of a Felony, and Conspiracy Second Degree, and was sentenced to 5 years in prison followed by a year of probation. Newman pled guilty to Possession of a Deadly Weapon By A Person Prohibited and was sentenced by a judge in October 2017 to 1 year of probation.

Also Burglary, Unlawful Sexual Contact guilty verdict in Kent County

A 24-year-old Newark man will spend 30 years in prison after his sentencing by a Superior Court judge for charges of Murder Second Degree, Assault First Degree, Robbery First Degree and Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited. Deputy Attorneys General Sonia Augusthy and Dan McBride secured the sentence for Isaac Lecompte. In 2014, Lecompte and accomplices robbed and murdered Ira Hopkins in the Village of Windhover apartment complex (now Evergreen Apartments at Christiana Reserve). Donna Lindsey was the social worker and Stacey Coupe was the paralegal on the case.

A 31-year-old Wilmington man with repeated gun charges was sentenced by a Superior Court judge to 10 years of minimum mandatory prison time followed by 6 months home confinement, then 18 months of probation. Deputy Attorney General Amanda DiLiberto secured a plea to the charge of Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited. Gibson was considered one of New Castle County Police Department’s most violent offenders with prior convictions for Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited, Possession of a Ammunition by a Person Prohibited, and Trafficking in Cocaine. When stopped by police in early 2017, Brandon Gibson fled and concealed a firearm inside his neighbor’s stove. Gibson currently has pending charges for violating a no contact order for an act of intimidation related to the case. DOJ Paralegal Jessica Ascione and Administrative Assistant Val Rocha assisted with the case.

Deputy Attorneys General Marc Petrucci and Rebecca Song secured a prison sentence for 31-year-old Wilmington man, Haywood Johnson, after he pled guilty to Possession Of A Firearm By A Person Prohibited and Aggravated Possession Of Heroin. The Street-Crime Unit of the Wilmington Police Department was instrumental in the investigation and arrest of Johnson. When the Street-Crime Unit found Johnson in possession of drugs and a loaded firearm, he attempted to flee. He was sentenced by a Superior Court judge to at least 7 years of minimum mandatory time in prison followed by 18 months of probation. He must also forfeit his gun and ammunition.

A Newark man who solicited a 15-year-old female for nude photos on the instant messaging app Kik and sent her nude photos of himself will spend 5 years in prison. Deputy Attorney General Diana Dunn secured the sentence for Michael Imwold, 19, who pled guilty to two counts of Sexual Solicitation of a Child Under 18 to Engage in Prohibited Sexual Act. He was sentenced by a Superior Court judge to 5 years in prison, followed by probation, and will register as a Tier 3 sex offender upon his release. DOJ Child Predator Unit Chief Investigating Officer Dennis Campbell assisted with the case.

Deputy Attorney General Sean Motoyoshi secured a conviction for Richard McLamb, a 43-year-old man from Clayton. A Superior Court jury convicted McLamb of Burglary First Degree, Unlawful Sexual Contact Third Degree and Resisting Arrest. In June 2016, McLamb unlawfully entered his neighbor’s home and sexually assaulted her while she was alone and sleeping on the couch. McLamb was taken into custody shortly after running from Clayton Police. Detective Ryan Wright of the Delaware State Police, DOJ social worker Lorraine Freese, paralegal Sue Balick, administrative assistant Samantha Huey and investigator Pete Fraley assisted with the case. McLamb is scheduled to be sentenced by a Superior Court judge on February 27, 2018 and faces between 2 and 17 years in prison.

Other defendants face prison time for assault and escape charges

Deputy Attorneys General Kelly Sheridan and Jamie McCloskey secured a guilty plea from a 30-year-old Middletown man for robbery and weapons charges. From 2016 to 2017, police believe Brandon Dixon and an accomplice robbed multiple businesses throughout New Castle County armed with guns. Dixon pled guilty to Possession of a Firearm During Commission of a Felony, two counts of Robbery Second Degree, Conspiracy Second Degree and a Violation of Probation. Dixon is facing a minimum of 25 years in prison if declared a habitual offender at the time of sentencing in December, based on previous convictions for weapon and burglary charges.

A 28-year-old Wilmington man faces a minimum of 4 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges related to an assault last year. In December 2016, Wilmington Police responded to a call regarding an assault with a tire iron at Celebrations nightclub and restaurant located on South Market Street. Video surveillance of the attack led police to Alphonso Williams. Deputy Attorney General Christina Kontis secured the plea from Alphonso Williams to Assault Second Degree and Conspiracy Second Degree. He faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 4 years in prison when sentenced in December if he is declared a habitual offender as a result of previous convictions for weapons, drug dealing and theft. Lisa Loikith, a paralegal, and Crystal Pitts, social worker, assisted Deputy Attorney General Kontis with the case.

Deputy Attorney General Matthew Bloom secured a guilty plea from a habitual offender on the charge of Escape After Conviction. Wayne L. Williams Jr., 46, escaped from the Plummer Work Release Center to travel to New Jersey and fight his former girlfriend’s boyfriend, but caused no injuries to the boyfriend. Williams has a prior conviction for Escape and multiple Robbery convictions. Sentencing in the matter was deferred.